It is not yet uhuru for those converting their generating sets from premium motor spirit (petrol) to gas, as they risk explosion, director of Delta State fire service, Mr Eugene Ozewele, has said.
Ozewele said that those involved in the act are sitting on kegs of gunpowder, adding that manufacturers of petrol-generating sets did not produce them to use gas.
Ozewele, who reacted to a recent fire outbreak in Boji Boji Owa in Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state that razed over 20 shops said the fire started from one of the generators that exploded.
Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune, Ozewele opined that the dangers associated with the conversion are that the gas cylinder is usually too close to the generator, exposed to the sun as well as faulty installation, which exposes it to explosion.
A team of investigators put in place by stakeholders to look into the cause of the inferno was yet to submit its report at the time of this report.
Meanwhile, the member representing Ika North-East Local Government Area in the Delta State House of Assembly, Honourable Marilyn Okowa-Daramola, has assured the victims of the state government’s assistance.
Okowa-Daramola gave the assurance when she and the Ika North-East Local Government Area chairman, Victor Ebonka, visited the scene.
“It is quite unfortunate by this incident. When I saw the video, it was really disheartening. That is why we made it a point of duty to come here this morning to commiserate with the victims,” she said.
“On our part, we need to see what we can do to assist the victims. We have seen for ourselves even when no life was lost, things are difficult in Nigeria nowadays, so they really need to be comforted.
“We really sympathise with the victims over their property and the trauma they are going through at the moment,” she said.
She further said that the state government will put measures on ground to reduce the volume of fire damages whenever it occurred.
